USGC calls for China to approve MIR 162

The US Grains Council is calling for China to approve MIR 162 following this week's announcement of new biotech certification requirements for distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) by the Chinese import inspection authority, AQSIQ.

The new requirements effectively call for a certificate from the point of origin - in the case of US shipments, from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) - guaranteeing that the shipment is free of the biotech trait.

The mandate was made effective immediately, causing serious disruptions with existing DDGS trade and making future DDGS trade hard to achieve.

"China is asking for something that cannot be done. This certificate they're asking for does not exist," said Tom Sleight, USGC's president and CEO.

"It's time for China to look at and approve this trait," Sleight said. "It's been approved for commercialisation in the US since 2010, and it's been approved by all importing countries, including the European Union, for quite some time. We think that the lack of approval of MIR 162 is becoming an undue impediment on trade."

The Council is working to address the new disruption to DDGS trade with the US government and the US ambassador to China, as well as with MAIZALL, which represents grower organisations in several major corn exporting countries.

Meanwhile, USGC staff and consultants around the world are working with other markets interested in DDGS, particularly since prices have declined.

"We have some really excellent prospects that are panning out quite nicely, particularly in Mexico, Taiwan, Canada, the rest of Latin America and Korea. There's a lot of interest in this product."

The new certification requirements will be a topic of conversation at USGC's upcoming summer annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, scheduled for much of next week.

On the US Grains Councils website there is an audio report available on the China development.